Beyond The Veil: A Paranormal & Magical Romance Boxed Set

by Multiple Authors

  ChapterTwenty-two

  Ryleigh

  “You look like you wanna get the hell out of here.” Erick smirked as he opened the pantry.

  Thane’s compound felt cozy, but I’d paced the kitchen and living room for hours. When I’d asked to be left alone, I didn’t mean like this. I couldn’t even find the door to escape.

  “What is this place?” I grouched as I stood next to him at the counter. He offered me a snack, but I declined with a shake of my head. “No doors outside. No windows. How do you leave?”

  “Ah, but no one else can get in either.” Daniel swung behind the blond and stole half his sandwich. “What’s the point of a safe-house if it isn’t secure?”

  Erick swatted at him, but Daniel slipped around him to sit at the table. It was obvious the two had been lovers for years. Their intimate camaraderie reminded me of Lukas and Darian, but I pushed those thoughts away.

  “There has to be some way in and out. How did you guys get in?” I demanded.

  “Ian’s the one who links this facility with the outside world. If you want to depart, you’ll have to ask him.” He placed several sandwiches on a plate and joined Daniel. “But he won’t let you go until Mimi gets here, anyway.”

  “I’m going back to the B&B?” I couldn’t keep the excitement from my voice, but I didn’t care.

  Daniel nodded as he snatched the last sandwich and stood. “Yup. She’ll arrive in thirty minutes. I gotta go get ready for my date. See ya later.”

  He dropped a kiss on Erick’s cheek and dashed to their room.

  “Wait. He’s going on a date?” I looked from him back down the hall. “But, I thought you two were Bonded?”

  “We are.” He tilted his head toward me. “Just because we’re mates, it doesn’t mean I own him. He can spend time with whomever he wants. I know he’ll come home to me at the end of the day.”

  “But isn’t that wrong?”

  “Who's to say what's right or wrong?” He looked sincere, but I still couldn’t believe my ears. “Love just is. Besides, we have the advantage of knowing the truth surrounding the religious propaganda. Matters of the heart never used to be this complicated.”

  “What truth?”

  “The Elitists orchestrated all the world’s religions. Most of what gets passed down is fine. 'Thou shalt not kill' should be a no- brainer, you know? But the nonsense about women staying subservient to men and one man to one woman in a church sanctioned marriage... It's about population control.”

  “So they’re behind all that?” I asked. I’d never bought into religion, but it made sense.

  “Yup. Wanna know why you see so many Kindred in non- traditional relationships?” He waited until I nodded before continuing, though I hadn’t met enough of his people to understand what he meant.

  “It’s because we have the facts. This is a safe harbor for us to live free and love who we want in the way we want without judgment or persecution. Most of our allies fled the Elitists so they could interact without limits.”

  “That's beautiful.” I whispered.

  Daniel zipped past us as he left. Erick’s gaze followed him. “Yeah. It really is.”

  Darian

  After I left the compound, I wandered into the dungeon at Tainted Eden. I stood before the St. Andrews Cross. The memories I found here remained bittersweet.

  Father had me flogged whenever he and Cedric went away. One of the guards strapped me to the cross every morning of their absence. I knew as long as the pain consumed me, I escaped their influence. The man was supposed to humiliate and dehumanize me, but I’d somehow attained peace instead.

  It was my guilty secret.

  I'd enjoyed it when he tied me down and beat me. He'd made it look like he hurt me. And he did.

  Oh, how I hated the first lashes.

  Then my tormentor fell into a steady rhythm, and I detached from reality. I forgot my agony, my lack of freedom, and my fear. For those few precious moments, I ceased to exist.

  When the pattern changed, the sensations overwhelmed me. Over the decades, I’d stopped feeling ashamed of the sexual release he'd given me in those sessions. He'd untie me and leave me there in the dark so no one discovered the truth.

  The night after Lukas witnessed this in my Dreams, he brought me to the dungeon. It’d been my first scene with him, and the first time I ever experienced aftercare. He’d demonstrated how much he loved me, though I’d refused to see it.

  He'd taken care of me and expected nothing in return.

  The closest we had come to exploring a relationship had developed in this room. He'd seen to my needs all these years without pushing for more. Maybe that's why I ended up here tonight.

  I knew he never flogged any of his other partners. He didn’t enjoy the act itself. He’d done it for me, because I’d needed liberation. And he’d not trusted anyone else to touch me.

  He was right. I hadn't been ready. I would've run the moment he'd shown the slightest interest.

  Was I ready now?

  "Thought I'd find you here." Lukas leaned against the wall near a whipping horse.

  “I don’t have anything to say to you.”

  When I tried to walk past him, he stepped into my path. Reacting on instinct, I swung at him, but missed when he anticipated the move. My fist cracked the plaster next to his head. The pain was a welcome distraction.

  “You want to hit me?” He selected a short whip and tossed it to me. “Do it right.”

  Before I responded, he stripped off his shirt. He turned and grasped the St. Andrews Cross with white knuckles. When I gripped the leather handle tight enough to make it creak, his shoulders tightened.

  I’d never participated in this side of a flogging before. Oh, I’d seen others flogged, and I knew where and how to strike. But holding the grip in my hand seemed foreign.

  This felt wrong.

  Agitated, I slapped the strips against my thigh as I considered his naked torso. Lukas tensed, and I doubted he’d enjoy this. Not like I did when I stood in his place. If neither of us wanted this, there wasn’t a point to the scene.

  I flung the flogger onto the table and stalked away.

  He pinned me to the wall before I’d made it five steps. “Punish me, damn you. Until you get over your temper, we can’t move past this.”

  “I can’t.” He let me escape, though he stayed between me and the door. “When we’re in here, it isn’t about punishment or retribution. It’s not even about the pain. We don’t want this, Lukas. It goes against the grain. Nothing in this room should be done in anger. It would ruin us.”

  “Then how do I fix this?” He whispered.

  “You can’t erase years of manipulation just like that.” I pushed past him to pace. “Instead of seeing me as an objective, you need to treat me like a god-damned man!”

  He tried to respond, but I wasn’t ready to hear him. “And if you ever manipulate me or Ryleigh again, I’ll kick your ass. She deserves better. We both do. Understand?”

  “Dammit, Darian. I had my reasons.” He silenced under my glare. “Fine. I understand. But I can’t always explain everything. It doesn’t work that way.”

  “You need to fucking try. I won’t accept anything less and neither will she.”

  “I know. Gods help me, I know.” He pulled my forehead to his and closed his eyes. “I love you both so much, and I couldn’t stand to lose either of you. It would destroy me.”

  With a sigh, I let myself relax. He embraced me, and we stood there in silence for several minutes. When his cock twitched against my hip, mine responded. I bit back a laugh, and so did he.

  “I’m pissed as hell, but I still want you.”

  “I’ve needed you for a long time.” He yanked me toward the bed tucked into the corner and pushed the restraints off the end. They clattered to the floor, but we ignored them.

  He slid down my body until he kneeled at my feet. His posture wasn’t submissive, but it felt wrong having him there. No one topped him, no matter what
scene they were doing. Lukas was Master.

  Always.

  I placed my hand on his arm, intending to lift him up, but he nudged me away and tugged down my zipper. The button came free seconds later. "Lukas?"

  “Let me do this for you.” He rasped as he wrapped his warm fingers around my erection.

  “Lukas, get up.” I groaned.

  As I held his head between my hands to stop him, a bead of pre-cum rolled down the engorged flesh. His breath lit the trail with ice as he gazed up at me.

  “What happens between us has nothing to do with who is dominant. Or whose ego is bigger. This isn’t about who gets to top the other. If we can’t meet as equals, neither of us will be happy.”

  He followed the path with his tongue and fondled my balls. As his lips closed over the crown, he gave them a gentle squeeze. The dual sensations almost sent me over the edge. He took me deep into his mouth, swirling over the thick vein from root to slit as he worked me into a frenzy.

  “No more.” I kicked off my slacks, pulled him up, and ran my palms down his chest. The muscles bunched under my fingertips as I traced the light dusting of hair to the button of his jeans.

  He gripped my chin and bit at my lower lip until I let him in. His mouth moved rougher than I anticipated. So different than when Ryleigh let me caress hers earlier. His tongue plundered and his teeth conquered, but I returned his enthusiasm as I took control.

  When I pushed him away to unbutton his pants, his shaft strained against the fabric. As I tugged the material down his hips, I kneeled before him. I nuzzled the warm shaft, licking my way down his length to the base. He moaned as I took his balls into my mouth and suckled them. When I pressed into the tender flesh under his sack with my thumb, he wrenched away.

  We wasted no time stripping the rest of our clothes, and fell back onto the bed in a tangle of limbs.

  Lukas climbed up my legs and rubbed his cock against mine before he sat up to grab the lube. He caressed both cocks in his oiled fist, stroking them together as he explored my body with gentle nips of his teeth. He licked the path of my scar, peppering the expanse with reverent kisses.

  When he rose above me, I missed his embrace. He crouched, and I tensed as he poised over me. My tip bobbed against the cleft of his ass as he waited for me to relax.

  “Don’t worry about who's doing what.”

  He kissed me again, pushing back against my arousal as his tongue slid against mine. I felt the ring of muscles clench before he relaxed. With a nudge, the thick head stole past the barrier. I tried to keep him still, savoring the moment, but he bore down on me until he seated himself to my balls. I groaned as the tight sheath flexed, hugging my cock in its warmth.

  “There's no power exchange between us.” He murmured. “Right now, we're just two lovers, feeling our way through the start of a new relationship. I love you, Darian. Let me show you.”

  We didn't move for several seconds as we absorbed the incredible sensations. His eyes closed when I twitched inside him, and he sighed. I gripped his hips as he lifted up, almost freeing my shaft before he enveloped me again. The glide of his erection against my stomach was as erotic as the tightness of the passage clenching me.

  Tingling spread from the base of my dick up my spine as he writhed over me, and I fought to retain control. "Gods, Lukas. I can't hold on much longer."

  "Then let go."

  I fisted his slick cock and pumped in rhythm with his movements. He moaned as I came, and streams of hot cum shot up my chest when he joined me. With our release, I forgave him. He’d done so much for me, I didn’t doubt his love.

  ChapterTwenty-three

  Ryleigh

  Mimi cornered me in the garden behind the imposing Gothic building four days after I’d last seen Lukas or Darian.

  “You miss him.”

  I shrugged.

  “I see. But who do you miss more, I wonder?”

  My heart stopped for a second and then galloped. If I was honest, I missed them both. I’d gotten used to seeing them around. Part of me craved the time I spent with them. At night, I wanted to curl up in someone’s arms. I didn’t care which man held me as long as they stayed with me.

  I couldn’t deny it; I’d fallen in love with both guys.

  As we walked among the flowers, she led me to the gazebo in the center of the hedge maze for a little privacy. I knew others roomed at the inn, though they’d all given me some space. Lukas’ crew also lurked around the grounds, but they went out of their way to avoid me.

  “Who am I supposed to miss, Mimi?” I asked.

  She sat on a bench and patted the spot next to her. When my feet refused to stay still, I ended up pacing instead. My emotions flitted between despair and rage.

  “How could they do this? I wasn’t ready for a relationship at all, and now they both want one with me? How is any of this fair? Why do I have to make these choices?” Exasperated, I flopped onto the seat. I didn’t like feeling over-dramatic, but the situation seemed impossible.

  She gripped my fingers, sharing her worry with me, though her smile never wavered. “Let me tell you a story. Maybe it will help you understand how the Kindred view your dilemma. You’ve heard of Adam and Eve, yes?”

  “Hasn’t everyone?”

  “Do you recall the alternate version, where Lilith became Adam’s first wife?” She queried.

  I frowned, but I remembered learning about it in Religious Art class. “Wasn’t she a demon sent to tempt Adam?”

  “Lilith was human while Adam and Eve came from Intara. Eden was one of our original settlements after the last crossing.”

  My eyes widened. “I hadn’t tried to reconcile Intaran and Earth history, yet.”

  Mimi laughed. “So much of our past merged with myth over the millennia; the scholars can’t keep it all straight.”

  “It’s kind of crazy how many legends revolve around your people.”

  “Believe it or not, our sister worlds influenced each other equally. We’re indistinguishable if you remove magic from the equation.”

  She looked at me, knowing I had more questions, but I mimed zipping my lips.

  “Adam was the crown prince for an Intaran nation whom despised humanity.” She continued. “His father wanted to use the resources on Earth for their own gain. A few Intarans, here and on our world, never accepted your race as their equals.”

  “What did we ever do to them?” I asked.

  “You’re inability to manipulate magic makes you less in their opinion. Since magic is the gift of the gods, the Elitists determined humans unworthy.”

  “Harsh.”

  “We don’t all feel the same.” She hugged me. “In fact, the extremists were the minority, even on Intara. You can retain greater energy than we can, though you can’t adapt it. We Kindred suspect you are meant to interact with us, otherwise, what’s the point?”

  “Was that how the war between the Elitists and Kindred started?” I leaned toward her, eager to learn. I’d have to add this to my notes later. “Darian told me a little about it, but not the why.”

  “Yes.” She sighed. “Each of the nations separated to their designated regions. Adam led his contingent through the Portal and found his Setah among the natives near Eden. When Adam brought Lilith to meet his family, they challenged his Bond. The pair sought refuge with his former enemies, whom he knew accepted humanity as equals. My ancestors welcomed them and all the people fleeing the Elitists who’d enslaved them. Then, Adam met our king’s daughter, Eve, and learned she was also his soulmate.”

  “Oh.”

  Mimi hugged me again. “While it’s uncommon to find one’s soulmate, and extremely rare to possess more than one, it happens. Triads were considered sacred on Intara.”

  “But the story didn’t end favorably for Adam and Eve.”

  “Lucky for you, none of you are royalty. Nothing ever ends well when the monarchy gets involved.”

  “Thank god for small mercies.”

  “Adam’s sire discovered Eve
and appealed to Adam to reject his human mate, since he had a better bride to choose from.” She continued. “By then, Adam, Eve, and Lilith all embraced the Bond, and they’d lived together in harmony for over a hundred years.”

  “That’s a long time.” I couldn’t imagine it.

  She gave me a stern look for interrupting. “Desperate, his father sent someone to assassinate Lilith, hoping to force Adam to realize his error and return with his ‘true’ Setah. War broke out between the nations because of her death.”

  Though it had happened generations ago, Mimi’s sadness deepened. “At this point, the energy grid was complete, but conflict kept us from uniting to link the bridge to Intara. Neither side wanted the enemy to gain reinforcements. The hostility centered around how humans should be treated, either as equals or as slaves. Many demanded we close the Portal forever to keep our races separate.”

  “So that’s why the bridge never worked.” I murmured.

  “The surviving records indicate most of the royal families on both sides were murdered before the Stones disappeared.”

  “That’s terrible.”

  “Needless bloodshed always is.” She frowned. “Frightened, the natives killed our people whenever they revealed their nature. If we didn’t kill each other first.”

  She paused, looking at me. “You know, in history, multiple spouses were common.”

  “Maybe in third world countries.” I shook my head. “It was an exception, not the rule.”

  “True, but there’s a reason for the prejudice. The Elitists use human clerics to mold humanity from the shadows. The church destroyed Lilith, through their manipulations. They demonized her, and so she remains in your literature to this day.”

  “Poor woman.”

  Mimi sighed. “The extremists found themselves outnumbered on Earth, so the Elders used superstitions and fears to fuel their propaganda against us. They still do.”

  “So they direct religion to control the rest of you?” I asked.